Hayden Panettiere secretly entered a Malibu rehab facility in the weeks before her fatal overdose, according to newly released coroner’s documents.
The Greenville County Coroner’s Office report, obtained Wednesday, reveals that either Brian Hickerson or his brother Zach told investigators the ‘Heroes’ actress had been receiving treatment at a drug rehabilitation center in California until shortly before her death. The specific brother’s name was redacted in the released documents.
One of the Hickerson brothers also claimed to authorities that he had previously administered Narcan to Panettiere during a prior overdose incident. Narcan, the brand name for naloxone, is an emergency medication used to reverse the effects of opioid overdoses.
The coroner has already ruled Panettiere’s Aug. 16 death at a Greenville, South Carolina, Airbnb an accidental overdose involving fentanyl. She was 35.
The revelation of prior Narcan use adds a devastating layer to the timeline of Panettiere’s final months, suggesting her struggle with substance use had reached life-threatening levels before the fatal incident. The fact that someone in her circle had already intervened with overdose reversal medication underscores the severity of her condition.
The Malibu rehab detail also raises questions about the circumstances of her departure from treatment and her subsequent travel to South Carolina. The coastal California facility was apparently unable to prevent the relapse that led to her death mere weeks after her release.
Brian Hickerson, Panettiere’s on-again, off-again boyfriend, has been a controversial figure in her life for years. The couple’s tumultuous relationship included multiple domestic violence incidents, with Hickerson pleading no contest to felony assault in 2020 following an altercation involving the actress. They had reportedly reconnected in some capacity in the period leading up to her death.
Zach Hickerson, Brian’s brother, was the person who actually discovered Panettiere unresponsive at the rental property, according to previous reports. The brothers were both present in the residence at the time of the fatal overdose.
The coroner has stated that Panettiere had returned from rehab just before her death, a detail now confirmed by the more detailed report with the specific Malibu location. The timeline suggests a tragically brief window between her attempt at recovery and the fatal overdose.